Dan Cullum

Time since the US Declaration of Independence was signed: 246 years.

Time for Pluto to orbit the sun: 248 years.

I’m marvelling at Pluto and perspective.

“It is important that students bring a certain ragamuffin, barefoot irreverence to their studies; they are not here to worship what is known, but to question it.“—Jacob Bronowski

It’s not just staying curious that’s important, but also the way in which we turn up with that curiosity.

A ‘ragamuffin, barefoot irreverence’ implies a willingness to wrestle in the mud, to embrace the mess, and lean into the the struggle.

There’ll always been a chance to synthesise, simplify, and polish later.

I recently wrote about some of Nokia’s poor design choices in the mid-2000s. Given this backdrop, I feel compelled to write about Samsung’s latest phone, for which it’s pumping millions of dollars into marketing around the world.

The Samsung Z Flip4 is a continuation of its flip-phone line, and feels mostly like a nostalgia play. I see minimal functional benefit, except that the phone itself acts as its own stand to take selfies—which is barely a benefit worth mentioning.

Apparently, Samsung has 65% of the flip phone market, but the entire flip phone market was only estimated at 9 million units in 2021. Compare that to the 240 million iPhones sold in 2021 to get a sense of how small the flip phone market is.

Even if Samsung knock it out of the park with the Flip4, they’re playing in the small leagues.

I don’t see this phone’s sales performance matching the marketing spend placed behind it.

I’ve set a reminder in my calendar to check in 6-9 months once sales figures have been released to see if I’m right or wrong.

We should take the first step when we’re almost ready.

When we have sufficient knowledge to move, but not too much that it stifles us.

When we have the courage to try, but not so much that we’re arrogant.

When our naivety enables us to look at problems in new ways, but not so much that we get fooled by the tricksters.

By taking the first step when we’re almost ready, we leave some space for magic to happen.

“All truly wise thoughts have been thought already thousands of times; but to make them truly ours, we must think them over again honestly, until they take root in our personal experience.”—Goethe

The pressure is off.

We don’t need to invent anything new.

Rinse. Wash. Repeat.

Only the good stuff.

All the time.

I’m enjoying following this year’s Football World Cup.

In particular, seeing the likes of Japan topple Germany and watching their fans go crazy, that’s sport summed up in a moment.

It got me thinking about how every World Cup delivers surprise results. There is always an underdog who defeats a team much further up the FIFA rankings.

This idea extends out beyond football though. It feels like every news cycle or financial market update delivers some “unprecedented” finding.

Perhaps a better approach is to expect a surprise result. Might we be caught off guard less frequently? Could it make us more resilient in the face of adversity? Would we then welcome the normal result rather than take it for granted?

“In all affairs, it’s a healthy thing now and then to hang a question mark on the things you have long taken for granted.”—Bertrand Russell

I love how Russell uses “to hang a question mark” as though it’s a casual thing to challenge our most dearly held beliefs.

And maybe this unpretentious approach is what’s needed. Perhaps it improves our odds of coming away with a new, better, and more nuanced perspective.

Why is it that the cabins in planes seem to either be viciously cold or blisteringly hot? There is rarely a middle ground.

If anyone knows, let me know as I’m currently boiling inside a plane at Heathrow, but it’s freezing outside on the tarmac.

On the other hand, it’s a reminder to be prepared, especially when we already know what may be thrown at us.

A few years ago I switched to training in the morning. I found going to the gym first thing puts me in the right mental state for the rest of the day. Even if I can’t control what the rest of the day may bring, I can control that early morning window.

Many of the ideas in this blog are concepts that I find myself returning to over and again; relearning lessons and reminding myself of their importance. In this case, it’s another flavour of momentum begets momentum.

When is your day won?

It means “I’ll leave it up to you” in Japanese, and its root is the verb “to entrust”.

Yesterday was my first timing ordering omakase style at a Japanese restaurant. I gave the chef full control over the meal, and was not disappointed.

There was a cascade of fresh sashimi and perfectly plated sushi. Each mouthful was different, and it was likely the most flavours I’d tasted in a single meal.

Sometimes the best experiences happen when we forego control and just enjoy the ride.

The success of a team is correlated with how much a leader encourages its members to tell the truth; even when it hurts. Especially when it hurts.

It’s the truth, the facts, and the whole story, that lead to progress.

I recently heard someone refer to themselves as having a deep keel.

No matter the size of the storm or swell, they’re rarely swayed, shaken, or stressed. Their keel is holding their boat in place; keeping it upright, and ensuring it doesn’t capsize.

I loved this metaphor. There’s lots to learn here.

I had a laugh this morning when some readers pointed out that this video I posted a few days ago of Rick Rubin and Paul McCartney listening to Smash Mouth’s All Star was, in fact, a parody. The pair were actually listening to The Beatles’ Come Together, and someone had edited All Star over the top of it.

Firstly, as someone who has edited a fair few videos, I must give the parody artist credit. I was convinced.

Secondly, it made me reflect on confirmation bias. I genuinely like All Star, but I’m aware it gets dunked on a fair bit. So when I saw something that looked like two musical titans admiring it, I ran with it. I didn’t do the due diligence because it validated a narrative in my head. This mistake was harmless, but confirmation bias can be dangerous in other situations.

Finally, I better read descriptions a little closer next time!

I came across this poem written by Joseph Malins in 1895. It’s message of how prevention is better than the cure is still relevant and resonant today.

---

Twas a dangerous cliff, as they freely confessed,
though to walk near its crest was so pleasant;
but over its terrible edge there had slipped
a duke and full many a peasant.
So the people said something would have to be done,
but their projects did not at all tally;
some said, ‘Put a fence ’round the edge of the cliff, ‘
some, ‘An ambulance down in the valley.’

But the cry for the ambulance carried the day,
for it spread through the neighbouring city;
a fence may be useful or not, it is true,
but each heart became full of pity
for those who slipped over the dangerous cliff;
And the dwellers in highway and alley
gave pounds and gave pence, not to put up a fence,
but an ambulance down in the valley.

‘For the cliff is all right, if you’re careful, ‘ they said,
‘and if folks even slip and are dropping,
it isn’t the slipping that hurts them so much
as the shock down below when they’re stopping.’
So day after day, as these mishaps occurred,
quick forth would those rescuers sally
to pick up the victims who fell off the cliff,
with their ambulance down in the valley.

Then an old sage remarked: ‘It’s a marvel to me
that people give far more attention
to repairing results than to stopping the cause,
when they’d much better aim at prevention.
Let us stop at its source all this mischief, ‘ cried he,
‘come, neighbour’s and friends, let us rally;
if the cliff we will fence, we might almost dispense
with the ambulance down in the valley.’

Today I’m sharing 3 musical observations that I’ve noticed over the past week.

First up is a chart on the percentage of number one singles with a key change by year.

I’m so used to being surprised at a key change if I hear it in today’s music, that I find it hard to imagine that about 1 in 3 of the top songs on the billboard charts having them back in the 60s and early 70s.

---

Second is this great video of producer, Rick Rubin, showing Sir Paul McCartney the individually recorded tracks—or “stems”—from All Star by Smash Mouth.

All Star gets a lot of hate as that cheesy, quirky song from Shrek. But I’ve always had a soft spot for it.

I feel vindicated seeing how much Rubin loves the song, and seeing Paul’s overwhelmingly positive reaction. It really is a great song!

---

Finally, I wrote earlier this year about how I’ve been reading historical fiction novels about the life of Genghis Khan. Well, I recently found a band that combines traditional Mongolian music (including guttural throat singing) with heavy metal. They’re called The Hu, and their music is unlikely anything I’ve heard before. They’re playing a concert here in London in December and I’m considering going to see what their live show is like.